Student Years
by Kaitu
Summary: Sonic Adventure/AU One year, a group of youth begin their studies at the evening class. Through the everyday experiences, along the months and years, the group hitches together firmly – discovering every colour and taste of true, lifelong friendship.
1. Chapter 1 Working Away

_Student Years, an AU Sonic the Hedgehog fan fiction_

_Hello, dear reader. I am here __to offer you a story that is about life. I hope it entertains you, perhaps makes think about your own youth. And also, I hope it makes you think about your own life a bit. The story is set in an alternate universe version of Sonic Adventure, so it's going to be a bit different from your usual Sonic experience. I have changed some of the key elements of the series, but you will be meeting many of your old friends and places – and some new ones._

_I would really appreciate reviews and feedback from you, because I want to make my stories as good as they can be – so that they would entertain you as much as possible. Your enjoyment is a top priority for me. Please send me your thoughts and ideas, anything you want. I will read and consider all constructive criticism and ideas. If you encounter really strange spelling errors, please note me as well. I am not writing on my native language, and this is serving as a practice work as well.  
_

_Well, let's get the story up'n'running. _

I was sitting in a street café, watching the people pass by. The waiter brought me a cup of cappuccino I ordered just a moment ago. It sure was nice, warming up this rather chilly morning. Only 15 minutes left until my work would start.

My job is to deliver goods and documents to the clients of a company called Azure Inventions. It's quite an interesting task, as you get to meet lots of different people. An ordinary work day usually includes some preparatory work on the computer, and then door-to-door deliveries. Sometimes things can get pretty frantic at the office, but otherwise it's just plain quiet. I am okay with this job, average pay and tasks differing from day to day.

Letting out a long sigh, I got up from the chair, ready to leave. Stepping to the street, I walked with the stream of people till I was in the downtown area, known as the Station Square. I still went further into a small alleyway. I climbed up the spiral staircase until I was in front of the employee office. It was in a pretty strange place, up in the eighth floor, having its own outside door and not being connected into the main hallway of the house. Giving a polite knock, I opened the door and jumped in. Our office was a small, cosy loft with a workstation for every employee. In the other end of the room, the secretary was dozing off on her table.

"Hey, Sorako!" I exclaimed as I went up to the table. She quickly lifted her head up, looking at me with an irritated face.

Kanako "Sorako" Kuwashima, my best friend and the secretary at Azure Inventions – or shall I say, the fantastic jack-of-all-trades, is a cat. She has yellowish fur, and keeps her deep red hair on a long braid. We know each other pretty well. She might be pretty noisy and a bit sloppy worker, but she's got a great deal of social talent. She can talk anyone out from trouble, and never runs out of answers.

"Ena, what's the fuss? Can't you see that I'm busy? These advertisements are EVERYWHERE," Sorako mumbled and fell down to the table. I grabbed her shoulder and shook her firmly. She slowly opened her green, almond-shaped eyes.

"Damn, it feels like these things don't ever disappear, whatever I do! Go grab me a coffee, please, if you're going to that direction" she asked me and leaned back to her documents. "_Ah well, I should help her out later", _I thought.

I walked to the coffee automat and put in a carton cup. The coffee spurted down the pipe, and soon the cup was filled. I took it, along with a couple of sugar cubes, and went back to Sorako, trying to look happier. A little sigh escaped my mouth.

"Well, here it is," I said and gave the cup for her. She drank everything with just one gulp. Talk about taste buds made of steel!

"Ah, thanks pal," she told me and stood up from the chair. Slowly walking around the room, she stopped at the window, looking at the cloudy sky.

"Do you have any new assignments for me today?" I asked. Sorako turned back to me, looking a bit puzzled.

"Oh, yeah. Almost forgot. Today, you should go to the 'Square and spread some leaflets for the passer-bys."

"Is this some kind of advertising?"

"Well, what did you think? Just give one for every person who walks past you. It doesn't really matter what they do with them, just as long as you get all the papers delivered."

"But why? We haven't done any "direct contact" marketing before, are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, wasting paper like this isn't really my thing, but whatever Boss says", Sorako whispered with an unsure undertone in her voice. I picked the adverts up, put them into my messenger bag and proceeded to the door.

"Be back for the lunch break, I've prepared some curry rice," Sorako shouted as I was about to exit. "Alright, see you then," I exclaimed casually, closing the door.

I skipped down the stairs, two steps, three steps, until I was at the street. I looked at my messy clothes. In the morning, I was really busy, just grabbing yesterday's stuff, brushing my teeth and then running out to the bus stop. No time to find some clean clothes, not even to cook some lunch. "Why did this have to happen today? Boss should have at least thrown me a note!" I groaned.

The streets were filled with businessmen and –women, and soon the preschool kids would come too. Needless to say, I was a bit displeased. There were simply too much people! How could I get them to notice me? Should I just use a silent, fast tactic by just pushing the leaflets into their hands, no matter if they want it or not? I decided to be polite and ask everyone if they're interested. If this plan wouldn't work, I would just get back into the silent one.

I took a seat in the front of a corner shop, and started to look for possible customers. This really put my personality-reading skills into test. I attempted to reason up their personalities from their outlook and overall attitude: how they walk, what they're carrying with them, what their expressions reflect. After two minutes of intense thinking, I decided to loosen up and just go up to the first person that would come to the store. The first customer I saw was man in a suit, possibly in his late twenties. I rose up from the bench, and walked to him.

"Hello, sir, do you have any time?" I asked him, as nicely as I could. I'm not really trained for customer service tasks, but common knowledge would be enough this time.

"Uh, hello", he responded with an uneasy smile. I took the first leaflet from my bag.

"You look like your business is thriving! Would you like to make your sales even better? Check out this new offer from Azure Inventions. They offer all kinds of useful services for big and small businesses, ranging from personnel hiring to technical support and catering. Read this guide and contact us soon", I told him, attempting to talk like a salesperson would. I didn't do too well, and the man gave me a weird look.

"Thank you so much for your time, I'll be waiting for your contact", I then told him and tried to be a little flirty. He seemed to blush a bit, and then continued his way into the store, having his eyes peeled on the leaflet. No, don't think it that way! I am not into older men, but anything is allowed in marketing. That's what Boss always tells us.

Although he was kind of cute.

One successful customer, more to come. I weaved between the crowd, searching for new people. I repeated my sales speech to everyone, from word to word. Some people were pleased, but not everyone liked it. One woman even tried to spit on me and threatened to call the police if I continued to spread the adverts. I told her that my work is completely legal, and that if she has some problems with it, she should call the Boss who initiated the whole thing. And she wasn't a youngster, more like a middle-aged hag. And of course, the office's phone number was on the leaflet, so I managed to slip one for her anyway. Hah!

After working away for about four hours, I was exhausted. The same lines repeated in my head, and my voice was down. I had got all the leaflets properly delivered, and felt quite good. I decided to give myself a little reward, and purchased the newest issue of "Classical Music Monthly" at the news stand. I like classical music, because it sounds so free and flowing even though it's played very strictly. Perhaps, the strict orders are actually freedom? Like, without rules, nothing would be fun anymore? Yeah, we need rules to get along in this world. But if there's too much of them, then it's not fun either. It's all about the balance.

I looked at my mobile phone's screen. The clock showed "11.22 AM". I stood up from the park bench, and clogged back to the Azure Inventions office. After all, Sorako promised me some lunch. She's such a lifesaver; I probably wouldn't even work here anymore without her help. When I made a critical mistake in the beginning of my career, Sorako talked me out from trouble, and Boss let me continue. I don't know what could have happened if she wasn't there that day.

"Today's menu: chicken curry with rice, green tea and stir-fried veggies! And there's a surprise treat for the dessert, too", Sorako said while carrying the hot, steamy food bowls to the break room table.

"Thank you so much, it looks delicious! It's my turn to offer you a meal tomorrow", I smiled and looked at the wonderful dishes. I was dying for some chicken, and Sorako knew it.

"Itadakimasu", we called out together and started chomping on the rice. It was really smooth, not too salty or sweet. Sorako had already finished her meal when I was about to taste the vegetables. She usually rushes her meals, while I prefer eating mine patiently. She waited for me, and when I was finished, she put the dirty dishes back into her lunch bag, taking out some sweet strawberry-filled rice patties. We chatted about the world news and what's happening right now in our own lives. Sorako grumbled a bit about having to work over-time. I asked if I could do something to help her, and she told me that she would ask if she needed something. I agreed with her. After we ate our desserts, Sorako collected the tea cups.

"Thank you for the mouth watering dinner", I thanked her. Preparing this could have taken quite a long time, and she had to wake up early to get it all finished.

"Glad you liked it", she answered. I went back to my own workstation.

"And by the way, do you have anything to do tonight? We could rent a karaoke box and go have some fun after school ends", she shouted from her desk.

"Yeah, sure, sounds great", I said her back.

"Alright then, see you at class", she answered cheerfully. My work for today was almost finished.

Sorako and I both study at evening class, as we have to work in the day. It goes like this: you go to work at 9 AM or earlier, work for about five hours (you can leave earlier, if you get the assignments done), go home to rest for two hours, and then spend four hours at the evening class. I am hopelessly addicted to energy drinks because of this lifestyle; I can't stay awake without them. After class I usually spend some time with Sorako or relax at home.

After leaving the office, I decided to go home immediately. I managed to catch the bus, and got to the apartment building area I live in. I took the lift to the fifth floor, and opened the door of my own flat. It was very small, but I've tried to make it look a little more spacey. I could smell the tea leaves from the kitchenette. I closed the door behind me, and went to my bedroom. It was pretty dirty there. I enjoy having my very own little chaos. Nah, that's only because I'm really lazy when it comes to cleaning.

I tossed the stuff lying on the top of my bed into the ground, and jumped into the pile of pillows, and then picked up the magazine I bought in the morning. Nothing special was happening in the world of classical music this month. There was an interesting-looking article about the history of woodwind instruments, but I didn't feel like reading. I threw the whole thing to the magazine bin to wait for its turn.

The digital clock on the end table scrolled the text "SEPT 30 THURSDAY 15.12 PM". I rolled back and forth on my bed, thinking about the next weekend. I would probably spend it slugging around the city and watching TV at home. Perhaps visiting my parents at Turquoise Island would be nice, too, but maybe not this time. They've been calling me almost every day, asking about how I'm doing on my own. I've been living in this apartment from this year's August, so that makes about two months soon. I moved here as I started work and evening class. The feeling of independence is fantastic. But of course, it also takes lot of work. "You have to know your responsibility. Take care of your actions, your home and your friends", my mother told me before I left home. It's probably the wisest thing I've heard. I have even considered of making a poster about it. I am at a critical point now, building the base of my future life.

_So, this is the end of the first chapter of Student Years. I would appreciate any kind of feedback, comments and ideas for next chapters._

_Kaitu_


	2. Chapter 2 The Project

_Here goes the second chapter. Ena's work has ended, and she is now at home, about to leave to school.  
_

After lying on the bed for about fifteen minutes, I picked up my school bag from the wall hanger. I quickly re-read my homework answers, searching for possible errors. There were some typos that I had to fix, and some downright weird babble. I didn't have much time to find out the correct answers, so I decided to ask the teacher for help. I then brushed my hair, and tied them into a simple ponytail. I took off my t-shirt and pulled on an old, warm, loosely turtle-necked brown sweater.

I rushed to the bus stop on the next street. In three minutes, the bus arrived. I flipped my bus card to the driver, got it back, and went to the back seat. Sorako would be coming in after two stops. I wiggled my feet in the air, enjoying the warmth of the local bus. The same passengers travel on the same line every day – there's always that little rabbit girl with her friends, some elders going to visit the grocery store. It's pretty fun to listen at them discussing about various things.

I almost fall asleep in the humming of the bus, until I heard an energetic, familiar voice next to me. Sorako had sat there, and I hadn't noticed it at all!

"Who's this little sleepyhead here?" she asked friendly.

"Oh, hello to you too, Sora", I said and looked at her from head to toe. She started to dig something up from her mocha-coloured shoulder bag.

"Oh, did you manage to do your English homework? I had some trouble with the exercise number 12", she told me and showed me her notebook. I took a look at her answers, and tried to give her some advice. She managed to do about half of the exercise, until we had no more time left.

"Pack up your stuff, we're going to be at the stop soon", I said and walked down to the slide doors. Sorako soon followed.

We jumped out, and decided to go inside the school building immediately. It was a brown brick house with two stories, surrounded by a small corner shop and the school library building. It's sort of weird that a small senior high school like this has its own library, but that's certainly not a bad thing. I don't have the money to buy any other books than the necessary studybooks, so it's a really nice place. I usually borrow thrilling whodunnits and just about anything that looks interesting enough.

We went up to the second floor, to the class number 289. The teacher had not yet arrived. Some other students were already there, including the rabbit twins, a mongoose girl, a brash red echidna and his friend, a blue hedgehog. They were sitting in their own groups, chatting and cracking up jokes. I didn't know the others except Sorako very well. We didn't talk much outside of school projects. Everyone's just sitting with their best friends, being a bit shy about the new people around. How would things be at the end of this year? Would I know them better? And what would happen after graduation? That seems to be really far in the future. Taking hold of this moment, enjoying now, worrying later. After all, there's a lot to be done during these years.

I heard steps coming from the hallway. Our teacher, Mr. Asano, entered the classroom, and told us to stand up. We greeted him, and he greeted us. He was a rather old, grey-haired but funny little guy who understood our problems, but sometimes got angry at us – but not without a good reason.

"So, today, we'll be starting with history, and then we should concentrate on mathematics for two lessons. English on the last lesson", he called and started searching for his books. I let out a long sigh.

"Let's see, who's here today… Sawai Ran and Aya?" Asano asked.

"Here", the rabbit twins said together. They were dressed in cute, matching clothes every day, and always hung out together. Having a sister like that, who's been with you all the time, they have a special bond between them. They're usually friendly and welcoming for everyone.

"Kuwashima Kanako?"

"Heee-re", Sorako said waving her hand in the air.

"Sonic?"

"Right here", said the blue hedgehog sitting behind me, tapping his right foot impatiently. He seemed a bit worn-out today, but still had his energetic attitude. He was the one who talked all the time, questioned the stuff written in the textbooks and challenged the teacher's arguments. He must have been through of lots of things before, because when he is telling us about something, I can hear that he's talking from true experience, without any hesitation. How can someone so young have such broad common knowledge? He's certainly an interesting person.

Asano continued reading the name list.

"Ito Sayuri?"

"Here I am", said the orange-furred mongoose. She was a nice, quiet girl who liked all kinds of literature. She always had a book or a novel with her to read, usually some old-school sci-fi. She was the type who seemed to just do whatever her emotions tell her. If something in class annoyed her enough, she just walked out, without a word, sometimes coming back, sometimes not. She didn't ever throw tantrums or cry, she just left. She must have really strong self-control.

"Knuckles?"

"Yeah", the echidna sitting behind Sonic grunted with a deep, mature voice. He was usually calm and composed, at least when compared to Sonic. When he had an opinion, he wouldn't pull it back, no matter what. He was very devoted to whatever he did, not giving up – even in a situation where he realized that he couldn't do anything to help. His relationship with Sonic was a bit rough, but you could see that they had known for a long time and gained a complete trust for each other. The friendship between guys sure is different from friendship between girls.

"Chun Ena?" the teacher finally called. I put my hand up, and said "Here".

"Okay, we're good to go. Tanaka is absent today, and so is Chihara", Asano said and took the history study book. He started to write something on the whiteboard, asking us to copy everything. I followed his instructions, not thinking too much. Suddenly, I felt Sorako's paw on my shoulder.

"About tonight's karaoke trip, are you still interested?" she asked. I nodded.

"Of course, I've already planned what I'm going to sing", I whispered back. Asano gave me an unpleasant look, apparently telling me to be quiet while writing.

"Great, let's talk about it on the break", she wrote on the side of my notebook to avoid talking. Asano was a great teacher, but he required absolute silence from his students. I felt bad for disturbing the class, but decided to continue working. I talked with Sorako through messages on notebooks, until the class ended.

The hours passed, slowly but steadily. Soon, it was time for the last lesson to begin. I drew random pictures on my study calendar's final page. Sorako was trying to solve her math problems, and I didn't want to disturb her. The other students in the class were doing all kinds of random things, too. Sonic and Knuckles were arguing, once again. Put a nonconformist hedgehog against a stubborn echidna, and you know what you're getting. Those two were the opposites in many ways.

Sayuri, the mongoose, was reading an old comic book with the twins. She probably bought it from a second-hand bookshop. The three of them were laughing for its silly space ship designs and predictions of the future. Sayuri's long ponytails were swinging as she burst into laughter. She only laughs when she's reading something; otherwise she appears quite emotionless and cool. She can absorb into the fiction worlds of the books, forgetting everything around her.

Asano stepped back into the class, into the front of us.

"I have an announcement. We are going to have a "Book Club" project in English, and you should work in pairs", he said, looking at us kindly. Everyone went sitting with their best friends.

"No, don't do anything, yet. This time, we're going to select new pairs. Go with a new person you don't know yet", announced Asano. I was shocked. Not working with Sorako? Everyone got up, carefully eyeing at each other. I started thinking about them. Sonic and Knuckles were apparently feeling uneasy. They were the only guys in the class, and that, of course, meant working with a girl. This was not elementary school anymore, but they weren't still used to it. For some reason, get

"Take your time, this is important for the development of your social skills", Asano said, sitting back on his chair.

Then, I saw Sonic and Knuckles coming up to me and Sorako. Sonic lowered down his voice.

"Hey, you two, could we possibly work as a four-man team? You would be with me, Sorako with Knuckles, or the other way, and then we could work together, everyone helping everyone", he suggested. Sorako looked at me, flashing a cheerful, pleased smile.

"What a brilliant idea, Sonic! Of course we'll accept", Sorako said happily. The problem was solved, and we could be together after all.

"So, what have you chosen?" Asano asked us, taking some notes.

"I'm going to be with Aya", Sayuri said.

"Teacher, could I have the permission to send an e-mail for the now-absent Chihara, asking if she could work with me?" Ran asked politely.

"That's all right, go on", Asano agreed and wrote down the names.

"I am with Sorako, and Sonic is with Ena", Knuckles said on our behalf.

"Well, it's decided then, let's get into the topic."

_Coming up next: The students start working at the book project, finding it more difficult than expected. Working as a team with people unfamiliar to each is going to be difficult  
at first. How will they do? _

_Again, thank you for reading. Please message me any comments and ideas if you have them. _

_Kaitu, the girl who sucks at writing previews for next chapters_


End file.
